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In this Article, we elucidate the structural and thermoelectric properties of stannite--kuramite solid solutions, Cu2+xFe1-xSnS4-y, (x = 0--1), with sulfur defects (y) ≤ 0.4. Structural analysis revealed that anisotropy decreases and Cu/ Sn disorder increases with an increase in x. The samples with x = 0.8--1 exhibit degenerate conduction, whereas the Seebeck coefficient (S) remains relatively high, S ≈ 100 μV K-1 for x = 0.8 at 300 K. Thermal conductivities (AC) of the solid solutions are in the range 10-3--10-2 W cm-1 K-1, which is close to the K value of silicon dioxide. The dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) reaches 0.044 for x = 0.8 at 300 K. The ZT is enhanced significandy by an increase in temperature and is doubly larger than diat of x = 0 at 300 K. These findings allow us to attain higher ZT values through optimization of chemical composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of polycrystalline samples of Cu2+xFe1-xSnS4-y (x = 0-1, y ≤ 0.4) are prepared by solid state reaction of stoichiometric mixtures of the elements (evacuated silica tubes, 750 °C, 96 h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]